George Vincent OWEN (1920-2000)

George Owen on his wedding day

George Vincent Owen

George Vincent OWEN1 [84], son of John OWEN (1879-1970) [13] and Rachel Elizabeth BURLEY (1883-1963) [14], was born on 13 March 1920 in Wollongong, NSW. He was named George after his father's brother George who was wounded on the original Anzac Day in World War I and who later died as a result of those wounds.2 He was a school principal . [[Originally he trained as a school teacher with the Marist Catholic religious brothers and taught for many years at St Joseph's College Hunters Hill, NSW. He eventually left the brothers but continued as a teacher in a civilian capacity. He entered at age 13 and left when about 33.]] He became a school principal later in life and it is a family story that he was the youngest ever principal appointed in Australia (at that time). It isn't known whether this is true.3,4 In 1992 he was diagnosed with the medical condition stroke.5 He resided at 6/26 Richmond Ave in Dee Why, NSW. The dates are not known but it was after he was divorced from his wife Marie.6 In 1992 he resided in Bayview, NSW. As a consequence of his stroke he moved into a nursing home there.5

he died (aged 80) on 2 September 2000 at Minkara Nursing Home 10 Minkara Rd in Bayview. A death notice was published in the Sydney Morning Herald on 5 September 2000. That notice states George was late of Minkara, formerly of Narrabeen and Dee Why.7,8

It is known that George hand-built two homes by himself in the Dee Why district of Sydney, NSW.2

{S0021}, Researcher : OWEN, John Edward (0001). Cit. Date: 25 March 2014. Assessment: Secondary evidence.1. Phone conversation between John Owen and Marie Owen on 18 October 2005. Additional to S137.2. Phone conversation between John Owen and Marie Owen on 24 February 2007[[The website used to display the following information "Entered the Marist Brothers Seminary to become a Marist Brother. Taught at St Joseph's Hunters Hill NSW. His religious name was Brother Florens" and also showed a picture of George wearing the brother's habit. Marie and her son Ken saw it and asked that I take down any information about his having been a brother. Before covering Marie's comments the following is seen as relevant. In her taped interview Sylvia Newton (nee Owen) states George entered the brothers at age 13. So given he was born in 1920 this would have been c.1933. I am guessing here from a child's memory but I think I was about 10 years old when he left the brothers, so he probably left them c.1953 giving him about 20 years in the order. The reason he left is not known but he appeared in my adulthood to have not just lost his faith but to have been strongly anti-Catholic.The following was offered by Marie as an explanation of the request.George entered the Marist Brothers from his parents' house at McDonald St Lakemba after having gone to school at the Catholic School at Belmore. Marie also grew up in Lakemba and was exceedingly well known around the church as she often helped out with different things at the church. However when she and George were getting married, George was quite insistant that they not get married at Lakemba but be married "in town" instead, which it is believed they did. George at this time was living with his parents at the Ultimo house. This whole situation apparently caused quite a bit of acrimony between the newly married couple and the Parish Priest at Lakemba and while it is not known whether there were any repercussions, the way Marie talked there may have been.In later years, George and Marie got divorced. They took this action back in the times when divorce was still a legal fight between couples and Marie says that George asked her during the proceedings not to raise the fact that he had been a Brother. She says she agreed to that and the matter was never raised.Finally when George was dying, he requested from Marie and his children that no matter what was said in the Eulogy, the fact he had been a Brother not be mentioned. It is believed that Ken wrote the Eulogy and no reference was made to the matter. Marie says that George was strongly opposed to people being aware of his being a brother and would I remove the references from the site?I have agreed to this request for the moment in respect for Marie. To me the fact that he was in the brothers and taught at St Joseph's at Hunters Hill is a valid piece of Family History to be reported in the normal way.]]